CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock was involved in a collision with a 990-foot motor vessel in northern Lake Michigan Sunday morning.
The Hollyhock is a 225-foot sea-going buoy tender homeported in Port Huron, Mich., and was conducting an ice escort at the time of the collision.
At about 10:45 a.m., the Hollyhock was breaking ice in front of the motor vessel Mesabi Miner when the collision occurred. The cutter’s crew reported significant damage to the stern and fantail, as well as two punctures in the hull about 20 feet above the waterline. The crew of the Mesabi Miner, en route to Gary, Ind., reported a 12-inch crack in the bow about 4 feet above the waterline and said the bow is pushed in about 8 to 12 inches.
The motor vessel Mesabi Miner, a 990-foot laker, suffered a puncture in its bow about 4 feet above the waterline during a collision with the Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock, a 225-foot sea-going buoy tender homeported in Port Huron, Mich., in northern Lake Michigan, Jan. 5, 2014. U.S. Coast Guard photo
No pollution or injuries have been reported concerning the incident and neither vessel has reported any flooding.
The Hollyhock arrived and moored up in St. Ignace, Mich., at about 8:30 p.m., Sunday. It is currently undergoing a complete damage assessment. The Coast Guard Cutter Biscayne Bay, a 140-foot ice-breaking tug, homeported in St. Ignace, escorted the Hollyhock as a precaution.
The Mesabi Miner will unload its cargo in Gary, Ind., and then the damage and planned repairs will be assessed.
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